Goodlatte: If Obama Exceeds His Authority, Congress Will React Strongly

(CNSNews.com)- Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), appearing on C-SPAN’s “National Journal” on Wednesday, said if President Barack Obama exceeds his authority on gun control, “Congress will respond and respond strongly.”

“Obviously we have to see what he proposes, but if he exceeds his authority, I think the Congress will respond and will respond strongly,” Goodlatte said when asked if he could stop funding any measure that the president enacts through executive order on gun control.

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“We certainly would, but obviously we don’t want to be put in a situation where the portions of what the government is doing that are legal and are appropriate are halting because the president exceeds his authority,” the congressman said.

When asked whether Goodlatte agreed with his colleagues who threatened impeachment if the president enacted gun control measures via executive order, Goodlatte said it depends upon what the executive action is.

“If the federal government, which has already many laws on the books that deal with background checks and prohibiting access to machine guns and other weapons like that we’ve already talked about is used within the scope of that law to change how the federal government addresses the problem, that’s one thing,” Goodlatte said.

“If, on the other hand, the president attempts to expand the authority of federal government agencies to act without congressional approval, that exceeds his authority under the Constitution, under the 2nd Amendment, and we certainly would be very mindful of that and would be taking action,” he said, adding that lawsuits could be filed as well.